The Secret Poet, page 1
The Secret Poet
Synopsis
Morgan Thompson likes her life just fine. She has a tight-knit family, two opinionated cats, and her job as office manager for her brother Perry’s medical practice. Perry’s an eligible bachelor, but his divorce left him gun-shy, so Morgan has fun tweaking his responses to potential dates online, using her affinity for words to make him sound impressive. When new pharmaceutical rep Zoe Blake walks into his office, though, he’s smitten, and he needs Morgan more than ever.
Zoe is beautiful and a little mysterious and doesn’t seem terribly interested in Perry. Morgan decides she’ll need to get to know Zoe before she plays matchmaker. But soon, she’s talking books and movies and writing to her as Perry, and the more she knows, the more she wants to know, until she begins to wonder: Is she wooing Zoe for her brother? Or for herself?
What Reviewers Say About Georgia Beers’s Work
Hopeless Romantic
“Thank you, Georgia Beers, for this unabashed paean to the pleasure of escaping into romantic comedies. …If you want to have a big smile plastered on your face as you read a romance novel, do not hesitate to pick up this one!”—The Rainbow Bookworm
Flavor of the Month
“Can people truly change? Can you make up for your past mistakes? …This book was very emotional. The characters of Emma and Charlie were relatable and believable. The reader was invested immediately.” —Marcia Hull, Librarian (Ponca City Library, Oklahoma)
“The story plays out quietly and gently. It feels grounded in reality. Nothing felt either dragged out or too rushed. …I appreciate that both women were given time to process their past feelings and become comfortable with their potential future. When they made their choice and declarations, I felt that they were thought out and this time they were ready.”—Dear Author
One Walk in Winter
“One Walk In Winter by Georgia Beers is that perfect combination of idyllic setting, feel-good romance and a beautiful ending that had me sighing in contentment.”—Kitty Kat’s Book Review Blog
Fear of Falling
“Beers sets a nice pace…and just enough heat to keep you begging for more. It’s the little moments of intimacy between Dana and Sophie that really hook you.”—Romantic Reader Blog
“Georgia Beers always delivers and as usual this book doesn’t disappoint. Dana and Sophia have great chemistry and despite this being a celebrity novel the story is entirely believable. The romance is well paced and sweet. A great holiday read.”—Melina Bickard, Librarian, Waterloo Library (UK)
“Georgia Beers has never disappointed me with any of her contemporary romances. I can always count on a wonderfully written and touching story when I open any of her books.”—Rainbow Reflections
The Do-Over
“You can count on Beers to give you a quality well-paced book each and every time.”—Romantic Reader Blog
“The Do-Over is a shining example of the brilliance of Georgia Beers as a contemporary romance author.”—Rainbow Reflections
“[T]he two leads are genuine and likable, their chemistry is palpable. …The romance builds up slowly and naturally, and the angst level is just right. The supporting characters are equally well developed. Don’t miss this one!”—Melina Bickard, Librarian, Waterloo Library (UK)
Calendar Girl
“Calendar Girl is a perfect master class on how to write a breathtakingly beautiful romance novel. …Georgia Beers had me captivated from the start with this story. Two skillfully crafted characters, an enthralling plot and the best kissing scene ever!”—Kitty Kat’s Book Review Blog
“Calendar Girl by Georgia Beers is a well written sweet workplace romance. It has all the elements of a good contemporary romance. …It even has an ice queen for a major character.”—Rainbow Reflections
“A sweet, sweet romcom of a story. …Calendar Girl is a nice read, which you may find yourself returning to when you want a hot-chocolate-and-warm-comfort-hug in your life.”—Best Lesfic Reviews
The Shape of You
“I know I always say this about Georgia Beers’s books, but there is no one that writes first kisses like her. They are hot, steamy and all too much!”—Les Rêveur
“[The Shape of You] catches you right in the feels and does not let go. It is a must for every person out there who has struggled with self-esteem, questioned their judgment and settled for a less than perfect but safe lover. If you’ve ever been convinced you have to trade passion for emotional safety this book is for you.”—Writing While Distracted
Blend
“You know a book is good, first when you don’t want to put it down. Second, you know it’s damn good, when you’re reading it and thinking, I’m totally going to read this one again. Great read and is absolutely a 5-star romance.”—Front Porch Romance Book Reviews
“Georgia Beers hits all the right notes with this romance set in a wine bar. …A low angst read it still delivers a story rich in heart-rending moments before the characters get their happy ever after. A well-crafted novel, Blend is a marvelous way to spend an evening curled up with a large glass of your favorite vintage.”—Writing While Distracted
“Blend has that classic Georgia Beers feel to it, while giving us another unique setting to enjoy. The pacing is excellent and the chemistry between Piper and Lindsay is palpable.”—Lesbian Review
Right Here, Right Now
“[A]n engaging odd-couple romance. Beers creates a romance of gentle humor that allows no-nonsense Lacey to relax and easygoing Alicia to find a trusting heart.”—RT Book Reviews
“[Right Here, Right Now] is full of humor (yep, I laughed out loud), romance, and kick-ass characters!”—Illustrious Illusions
“The angst was written well, but not overpoweringly so, just enough for you to have the heart sinking moment of ‘will they make it’ and then you realize, they have to because they are made for each other.”—Les Rêveur
Finding Home
“Georgia Beers has proven in her popular novels such as Too Close to Touch and Fresh Tracks that she has a special way of building romance with suspense that puts the reader on the edge of their seat. Finding home, though more character driven than suspense, will equally keep the reader engaged at each page turn with its sweet romance.” —Lambda Literary Review
Mine
“From the eye-catching cover, appropriately named title, to the last word, Georgia Beers’s Mine is captivating, thought-provoking, and satisfying. Like a deep red, smooth-tasting, and expensive merlot, Mine goes down easy even though Beers explores tough topics.” —Story Circle Book Reviews
“Beers does a fine job of capturing the essence of grief in an authentic way. Mine is touching, life-affirming, and sweet.”—Lesbian News Book Review
Fresh Tracks—Lambda Literary Award Winner
“Georgia Beers pens romances with sparks.”—Just About Write
“The focus switches each chapter to a different character, allowing for a measured pace and deep, sincere exploration of each protagonist’s thoughts. Beers gives a welcome expansion to the romance genre with her clear, sympathetic writing.”—Curve
Too Close to Touch
“This is such a well-written book. The pacing is perfect, the romance is great, the character work strong, and damn but is the sex writing ever fantastic.”—Lesbian Review
“In her third novel, Georgia Beers delivers an immensely satisfying story. Beers knows how to generate sexual tension so taut it could be cut with a knife. …Beers weaves a tale of yearning, love, lust, and conflict resolution. She has constructed a believable plot, with strong characters in a charming setting.”—Just About Write
The Secret Poet
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The Secret Poet
© 2021 By Georgia Beers. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13: 978-1-63555-859-3
This Electronic Original Is Published By
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: April 2021
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Ruth Sternglantz
Production Design: Susan Ramundo
Cover Design by Ann McMan
eBook Design by Toni Whitaker
By the Author
Turning the Page
Thy Neighbor’s Wife
Too Close to Touch
Fresh Tracks
Mine
Finding Home
Starting from Scratch
96 Hours
Slices of Life
Snow Globe
Olive Oil & White Bread
Zero Visibility
A Little Bit of Spice
Rescued Heart
Run to You
Dare to Stay
What Matters Most
Right Here, Right Now
Blend
The Shape of You
Calendar
The Do-Over
Fear of Falling
One Walk in Winter
Flavor of the Month
Hopeless Romantic
16 Steps to Forever
The Secret Poet
Acknowledgments
I am not a poet. In fact, I have had a distinctly love-hate relationship with poetry over the past few years. Poetry takes a special kind of talent. It’s so much more than simply vomiting emotions onto paper, and when it’s done well, the poet is suddenly left open and vulnerable, his or her heart laid bare. I admire that so much, and while, as I said, I am not a poet, I am a lover of words, and I don’t think you can be that without appreciating the talents of poets like Dr. Seuss, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, E. E. Cummings, or Walt Whitman. And if you really want to be spiritually moved and uplifted by poetry—especially during the crazy times in which we’ve been living—I highly recommend reading The Desiderata by Max Ehrmann. I know poetry is incredibly subjective, but those are poems that have made space in my heart and now live there permanently. To me, that is poetry.
Something that has always fascinated me is what’s called the Cyrano De Bergerac trope—when one person cares so much and so deeply for another that they’re willing to set their own desires and happiness aside—sacrifice them—in order to help their loved one achieve theirs. It’s beautiful and selfless and only the best kind of person qualifies. I have always wanted to write her, and so I bring you Morgan Thompson. I hope you love her as much as I do.
As always, my heartfelt thanks to everybody at Bold Strokes Books for taking care of both me and my stories. My books are like my children and the entire gang at BSB makes me happy and confident that mine are being very well taken care of.
With each book, my editors—Ruth Sternglantz and Stacia Seaman—teach me new things and point me in the direction that makes me a better writer. My gratitude doesn’t seem like enough payment for that, but I offer it anyway.
I have an incredible support system in my life, and I am well aware of how lucky I am. My writer friends, my “regular” friends, my family, everybody who understands (or tries their best to understand) this crazy, solitary career of mine gets a huge thank you from me. I’m not the easiest person, but my gratitude is genuine and overflowing. Thank you all for being (and staying) in my life. I love each and every one of you.
Special thanks to Jennifer Jordan for happily answering all my questions about life as a pharmaceutical rep. I owe you a drink!
And last, but never, ever least, my undying thanks to you, my readers. I am forever grateful to you for your support, your emails, and your social media posts. Your faith in me as you continue to go on these journeys with me means more than you could possibly know. As always, I give you this promise: I will keep writing if you will keep reading.
Dedication
To anyone who has loved from afar…
Chapter One
“I think it’s pancreatitis.”
“Let’s let the doctor figure it out.”
“Or it could be gallstones.”
“How about we—”
“What if it’s a subtle form of appendicitis? Is there such a thing?”
I sighed, but quietly. Mr. Wilson was pushing ninety. A very sweet guy, but also a hypochondriac since his wife died a year and a half before. We saw him at least three times a month. Still, the worry in his watery blue eyes was real, and I reached across the counter, through the sliding glass window, and covered his hand with my own. His felt so bony, so fragile and delicate, and I had to hide my surprise, consciously lighten my touch.
“Mr. Wilson,” I said gently, making sure to smile. But not in a condescending way. If there’s one thing I’d learned from working with so many elderly people, it’s that they’re often treated like children. Know what else? They don’t like that. “I’m sure it’ll all be fine. Let’s let Dr. Thompson worry about it, and not jump to conclusions until he sees you, okay?” I shook my hand a little on his, changed my tone so it was a little bit light and teasing, and said, “You have got to stop googling.”
He chuckled, and I felt relief course through me. “My damn grandkids taught me.”
I knew that. He’d told me multiple times, but I grinned and shook my head like it was the first time I’d heard that tidbit. My phone rang, thank goodness, and Mr. Wilson took that as his cue to have a seat in the waiting area. I watched him as I pushed the button on my phone to connect the call to my headset. He was a tall man, all gangly limbs, and age had bent him like a lamppost. I was reasonably sure he was lonely, and that’s why we saw him so often. Something to do. People to talk to. An appointment on his calendar to look forward to.
Anyway.
My name is Morgan Thompson. I work at Northwood Medical for my brother, Perry. He’s the doctor here, and I am his right hand. Or at least I tell him that all the time because I keep his appointments, his files, and his life organized, and I will never let him forget it. I consider that part of my job as the little sister.
The waiting room had four people in it, which was about average for a typical Wednesday at ten a.m.
“Here.”
I was on the phone setting up an appointment when a cell phone clattered onto my desk. I looked up at my big brother and raised my eyebrows in question as the woman on the phone gave me way too much detail about why next Monday wouldn’t work for her.
“Work your magic,” Perry said quietly and gestured at the phone with his chin. He looked like a soap opera doctor standing there in his white coat, stethoscope around his neck.
Perry was a super good-looking guy. Even as his little sister, I could admit that. His sandy hair was cut short on the sides and longer on top in what I was pretty sure was called a fade, though what did I know about guys’ haircuts? His light brows were thick and sat above eyes that were an unremarkable brown, but the way they crinkled at the corners when he smiled made up for it. He spent lots of time at the gym and on the tennis court and the golf course and, at forty-three years old, was in the best shape of his life. He was a definite catch, my big brother, but dating had been hard for him after his divorce.
He said nothing else, just left to see his next patient. I picked up his phone to take a look. His dating app was open on the face of a blond woman whose profile said she was thirty and the president and CEO of a home organizing company. I thought she was kind of pretty, but in that super made-up way that made you sure she’d probably look like a completely different person without her makeup on. Perry seemed to like that. Since he’d decided he should start dating again, every woman he’d shown interest in was much younger than him and very, very made-up. Listen, I have nothing against makeup, but I don’t put mine on with a putty knife. Still, he was trying, so who was I to judge? It’s not like I had women banging down my door.
Between calls, I did some quick research on this Kimberly Winter, checked social media and Google, and found that her organizing company consisted of a staff of exactly her, so of course she was president and CEO. I couldn’t really fault her, though, as I probably would’ve done the same thing if I had a profile. How often do you get to be president of anything, you know?
“Another profile?” Joanne asked. She and I shared the same space behind the counter. My desk was right under the sliding window, and I dealt with patients, deliveries, phone calls, all that good stuff. Joanne was part-time and took care of the files and odds and ends that I didn’t have time for. She was sixty-eight and had retired, then came back when she got bored, so she manned the desk farther behind me.
“Yeah. An organizer.”
“Well, she’s probably neat then. That’s a plus.” She rolled one wall of files to the left so she could get to the next batch. “What does he need this time?”
“Words, I think.”
“It amazes me that you two came from the same parents.” Her shoulders moved with soft laughter. “You wouldn’t have the first clue how to diagnose the flu, and he couldn’t write a speech to save his life.”
